Is technology presenting a new solution to plastic pollution? Plastics may be able to be "endlessly recycled"

Issuing time:2025-03-12 15:33

Plastic pollution has long been regarded as a global stubborn problem. Nowadays, more and more advanced technologies for plastic recycling are gradually being put into use, which will enable the efficient conversion of various waste plastics into recycled plastics. In the future, we may no longer need to rely on crude oil to produce plastics, but instead will make infinite use of existing plastic resources.

Only 6% of discarded plastics are recycled

Since the 1950s, the world has produced over 10 billion tons of plastic, of which over 8 billion tons have ultimately become waste, and the amount of waste plastic is increasing at a rate of 350 million tons per year. According to statistics, about ten million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year, forming informal garbage dumps like the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch".

In 2017, a study led by Roland Geyer of the University of California, Santa Barbara, revealed that only 6% of human made plastic was recycled, with the majority being landfilled as waste.

was recycled, with the majority being landfilled as waste.

The impact on the environment is undoubtedly catastrophic. Whether it is incineration or landfilling, the disposal of waste plastics releases a large amount of greenhouse gases. Moreover, the threat of plastic to human health is increasingly receiving attention. But plastic is still a necessity in modern life because it is too practical.

Judith Enk, the head of the non-profit organization "More Than Plastic" in the United States, said that the existing plastic recycling technology is still in its early stages and the process is cumbersome. Usually, waste plastics need to be sorted and even manually sorted out to select high-quality parts before they can be sent for mechanical recycling.

Mechanical recycling involves a series of processes such as washing, shredding, grinding, and melting to turn waste plastics into granular plastic raw materials for recycling. This method is very effective for plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). According to statistics, PET waste accounts for about 7% of the total plastic waste, of which over 90% can be recycled.

Recycled and processed plastic pellets for recycling (Image source: Visual China)

However, most waste plastics are not suitable for mechanical recycling, and even if they are recycled, the performance of their recycled products is difficult to match that of native materials. Moreover, these recycled plastics cannot obtain food contact permits and cannot be used for food packaging. For example, recycled PET is rarely used again to manufacture beverage bottles, and most can only be "downgraded" for use in furniture, carpets, and insulation materials. More importantly, the mechanical recycling process will cause some degradation of the plastic, and the quality of the plastic will decrease after each cycle until it is no longer usable.

Chemical recycling is more thorough

In contrast, advanced recycling technologies use chemical methods to recycle plastics, allowing them to repeatedly return to their original state. In theory, if plastic is recycled through chemical means, even the most chaotic waste can be decomposed into pure raw materials, which can be remade into plastic or other industrial products with identical physical and chemical properties to the original plastic - this process can continue to cycle.

The most mature advanced recycling technology currently available is pyrolysis, which can restore plastics to their original material state. In an anaerobic environment, plastic molecules are transformed into small molecules such as diesel, naphtha, wax, and monomers at temperatures exceeding 500 ℃, which are further used to synthesize various useful chemical products. After plastic pyrolysis, synthesis gas is also generated - a mixture containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which can also be used as a chemical raw material.

Another technology is gasification, which can completely convert waste plastics into synthetic gas at higher temperatures. According to Lars Krauss from the NOVA Institute for Political and Ecological Innovation in Germany, although the gasification process is longer and more energy consuming than pyrolysis, the yield is higher. According to NOVA Research Institute's analysis, a large plastic pyrolysis plant can produce about 40000 tons of plastic per year, while the output of a gasification plant can reach five times that.

In the past few years, both technologies have achieved rapid development. Initially, they were mainly used to convert waste plastics into diesel, aviation fuel, etc. Joshua Baca of the American Chemical Council said that in recent years, people have shifted their focus to the true recycling of plastics - these recycling methods can reduce the dependence of plastic production on fossil fuels compared to direct landfill.

The most promising technology is dissolution recovery. Essentially, it involves dissolving plastic in liquid to recover its useful parts. It consumes less energy than pyrolysis and gasification, and produces fewer toxic by-products, making it more environmentally friendly.

The production capacity of recycled plastics will double

Currently, Europe is at the forefront of advanced plastic recycling. According to the latest statistics from NOVA Research Institute, there are over a hundred advanced plastic recycling technologies in operation or development, many of which have entered the practical stage: dozens of factories in Europe have been put into operation, with a total annual production capacity of 270000 tons, and it is expected to double again by 2026.

The United States is also unwilling to fall behind. Baca introduced that since 2017, American companies have invested over $7 billion in advanced plastic recycling technologies, and more than 50 types of recycled plastic products have entered the market, including Head&Shoulders shampoo bottles, Fillet cream cheese boxes, and Dreamlong ice cream packaging.

However, these technologies are not omnipotent, they still require energy consumption and may also generate toxic waste. In addition, even in Europe, where advanced recycling technologies are most prevalent, the rate of plastic waste generation still far exceeds the processing capacity of advanced recycling factories - even if the expected doubling of production capacity comes true, only 1/6 of Europe's plastic waste can be converted into recycled plastic.

If advanced recycling technologies can further unleash their potential, 90% of plastics that have not yet been recycled today are expected to be recycled in the future. Baka looks forward to this day coming soon.

Disclaimer: This content is created by Tencent platform creators and does not represent the views or positions of Tencent News or Tencent website.

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